A hitman prepared to kill for as little as £200 is to be questioned again over the murder of Sussex tycoon Richard Watson.

Sussex Police have reopened an incident room and 12 detectives are working on the six-year-old case.

Hired gun Paul Jones will be interviewed again after his conviction yesterday for a bungled contract killing.

Jones was the first man police questioned on the night Mr Watson, 55, was gunned down outside his luxury East Grinstead farmhouse in 1996.

Detective Chief Inspector Steve Dennis, heading the new inquiry, said today: "We will need to speak to Jones at some stage."

Police believe some witnesses are too frightened to make statements but Mr Dennis pledged they would receive full protection and possibly a share in a £15,000 reward if their evidence proved crucial.

Sussex detectives were at the Old Bailey as Jones, 41, was jailed for 17 years for blasting the wrong man.

Jones left builder Ernie Broom, 57, an invalid when he shot him in the stomach at point blank range outside his home in Worcester Park, Surrey.

Jones had been hired by a business associate to murder Mr Broom's next-door neighbour but muddled the address.

Jones, an antiques dealer, of Glen View, East Grinstead, was found guilty of conspiracy to murder, attempted murder and a firearms offence.

Judge Brian Barker told Jones: "You had no qualms about being a hired killer. You went about this in a ruthless and cold blooded way."

Mr Broom was left with 250 perforations in his bowel from the sawn-off shotgun blast.

Jones was given just £200 and a Ford Granada for the contract hit by Alex Bristow who wanted his business rival dead.

Bristow was jailed for 14 years.

Mr Dennis said there were similarities between the contract shooting and the murder of Mr Watson.

Sussex Police originally charged the victim's wife Linda Watson and daughter Amanda Williams.

They were later acquitted and awarded £25,000 interim damages for being wrongfully accused.